Making the most of motor homes

Safety issues spring up as more hit the highway in RVs

By

JackieCohen

Corrects location of headquarters of Winnebago Industries.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- As more Americans take to the roads with motor homes, recreational vehicles and trailers, concerns about the quality of the products and their safety on the nation's highways are surfacing.

"I'd say maybe 60 percent of the models out there are not up to par," said Connie Gallant, president of the grass roots RV Consumer Group in Quilcene, Wash., which polls vehicle owners about their satisfaction and rates makes and models based on those interviews.

Out of 300 manufacturers of RVs and trailers, just over a dozen build products worthy of four or five star-ratings (on a scale of 1 to 5), said Gallant. She said it is the lower-priced models that present the most potential problems, particularly on motor homes or trailers under $50,000.

On the cheaper models "how [builders] adhere the home to the chassis and how they build everything inside is a big problem," Gallant said. "The walls can fall apart on impact, and the force loosens wall attachments and sends them flying."

Gallant also cited hazards from objects that may fly around in collisions, from potential fires and from improperly installed propane tanks. See the consumer group's Web site.

But the RV manufacturers beg to differ. Roger Martin, vice president of sales and marketing at Forest City, Iowa-based Winnebago Industries Inc. said his company emphasizes safety throughout the manufacturing process. The company is one of the largest makers of motor homes.

"We build and test our vehicles in a similar environment as what the auto industry uses," Martin said "That includes computerized design focused on quality and safety."

Aware of the complaints, manufacturers continue to tweak new models and expand their enterprises.

"RVs are very sophisticated today, and they're following trends of the automobile industry," said the Family Motor Coach Association spokeswoman Robin Gould. "Customer service is improving and warranties are increasing."

Popular pastime

Gould noted that the motor-home industry continues to post strong results in spite of rising fuel costs. The RV industry actually rallied during the economic downturn, she said.

"The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks made people not want to fly anymore. People wanted to stay on the ground and gather with family and friends," she said. "People still prefer to travel domestically."

About 7 million U.S. households own RVs, and 1 million of them consider their mobile homes to be primary residences, according to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association.

The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association said 196,200 RVs and trailers shipped during the first half of this year, up from 163,500 during the same period in 2003.

In 2003, the RV and trailer industry earned record revenues of over $12 billion, according to Statistical Surveys Incorporated. Trailer sales account for 75 percent of the total.

Those kinds of numbers have inspired a recent proliferation of small competitors to big companies like Winnebago
WGO, -3.39%
and Fleetwood Industries
FLE, -0.50%
It is those smaller companies that mostly earn lower ratings from the Consumer RV Group, Gallant said.

"A decade ago we did not have as much competition," agreed Chris Braun, executive vice president of the RV group at Riverside, Calif.-based Fleetwood Industries. "What distinguishes us is that we really stand behind our product, from a service standpoint."

Watch out for the other guy

Despite the consumer complaints logged by Gallant's group, motor homes do not present an unusual menace on the highways: Less than one out of every 1,000 crashes involves a motor home, trailer or camper, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA reported that automobiles were responsible for nearly half of the 58,512 accidents in 2003.

"Motor homes and trailers are subject to certain federal standards and we make sure that companies adhere to those standards," said NHTSA's Rae Tyson. "If there's a potential RV defect, we investigate them and pursue recalls where necessary."

Over the past year, the administration has investigated over four dozen complaints about new motor homes and trailers.

Still, travelers would do well to take precautions in any type of vehicle, said Sean Comey, a spokesman for AAA of Northern California. But motor homes can cause particular difficulty.

"If you're getting a motor home, you need to make sure you're properly credentialed. Even if it doesn't require a special license, it's a good idea to seek additional training to make sure you learn the skills you need," said Comey.

"Simple things that most drivers take for granted can become potentially life threatening when operating a large vehicle."

Larger vehicles require more space to make turns or stop, which may call for advance planning of routes, said Comey. Drivers often lack a rear view and may have blind spots that their auto counterparts don't.

People towing trailers or campers might find their driving still more cumbersome, and would do well to lighten up on the gas pedal, said Comey.

Even people in cars need to be careful, said Comey. "Give a wide berth to RVs and people towing trailers. You don't know how much training the driver has, so it's best to assume the worst."

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